1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wood finishing equipment, and more particularly, to a wood finishing machine having multiple finishing wheels disposed at various locations along the length of the feed path of a contoured workpiece, which wheels are capable of following the contour of the workpiece as it passes among them.
2. Prior Art
Wood finishing techniques for preparation of wooden pieces for use in furniture and the like are very old and, for the most part, labor intensive. Such wood pieces are generally sanded or buffed by hand which, in more recent years, generally includes the use of a power driven finishing wheel which can be maneuvered over the workpiece by an individual to sand or buff the wood to the desired finish. This has always resulted in some inconsistency in the finish and variation in the depth to which the wood is removed to attain the finish and thus, can cause some distortion in appearance in the finished wood product. Much of the variation in finish is due to the inability of an individual to maintain a constant and uniform pressure on the finishing wheel as it moves over a contoured surface of a workpiece. In addition, it is very difficult to maintain the axis of rotation of the finishing wheel perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece which is being finished and thus the squareness of the workpiece is not easily maintained with the use of hand finishing methods.